


We'll Always Have Our Memories

by Shane_for_Wax



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-30 03:05:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15087617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shane_for_Wax/pseuds/Shane_for_Wax
Summary: Never underestimate your senses when one no longer works.





	We'll Always Have Our Memories

**_“Baze Malbus was once the most devoted Guardian of us all.”_ **

Scent was and always had been closely linked to memory. And perhaps it was true when one sense ‘died’ the others worked that much harder to fill in the gaps as best as possible. For Chirrut, he had long since memorized the scents of his life before he lost his sight. But now the memories attached to the scents were that much more precious.

Not least of which the memories of when Baze had stopped believing in the Force. Some of the scents attached to the memories might not seem to exist, but they did to Chirrut.

Pain, hopelessness, loss, confusion. Heartbreaking.

And he remembered the scent of the incense when they did their vows affirming them as Guardians. And the accompanying joy, pride, anxiety that wafted from their fellow Guardians but from Baze in the highest concentration it seemed to Chirrut. Even beyond his own. 

He loved picking up happiness from Baze. It was his favorite by far and he strove, even when times got really tough, to get the larger man to actually give off at least a little happiness. Maybe a smile. A rueful one a lot but still one. 

One day, Chirrut chanced it and snuck his way back into the Temple of the Kyber. Despite everything the Empire had done to the most sacred place on Jedha, Chirrut could still pick up the scents he had grown up with. He knew Baze would not be happy with him, but the Force was in tatters and he had been dreaming something was going to happen to the Temple, and soon. He had tried to be logical about it: the Empire was never above desecrating places of worship and it was his greatest fear to lose the Temple but that didn’t mean anything would actually happen. But he trusted in the Force, as he trusted in Baze.

“If I could find you, do you not believe the Stormtroopers could?”

Baze’s voice coming from behind him didn’t surprise him. He knew how Baze walked, how he breathed. And he had picked up the all too familiar scent that was uniquely  _Baze_. 

“You know me better than any other person alive, Guardian Baze.”

Baze gave a low grunt; Chirrut knew the bigger man hated when Chirrut used the title that the other had long since given up. 

With a smile curling at the corner of his mouth, Chirrut reached off to his side. Baze stepped into the touch so that Chirrut’s hand rested on his forearm. 

“They can take our Temple, but they can’t take our memories,” Baze said, gently. Chirrut nodded in agreement. 

“Sometimes I just need to be at the source.” 

“Alone?”

“I would not make you follow me here.”

Something resembling a laugh escaped the larger man.

“Except you did.” It was teasing. They both knew that where Chirrut went, Baze was close behind. Not out of disrespect for Chirrut and his capability to defend himself, but because he had no desire to be apart from the blind man.

Chirrut gently squeezed the man’s forearm.

“You made dinner,” Chirrut said, a statement. The scent of broth and handmade noodles had finally made its way to Chirrut’s olfactory senses, admittedly they had been overrun by the scent of the Temple and the overall  _Bazeness_  of Baze.

“And it is getting cold.”

A gentle laugh before Chirrut pivoted. He shuffled quietly away, Baze at his side and slightly behind as always, leaving Chirrut free to use his staff, though he would always be able to find his way out of the Temple by memory.

It was soul crushing being so close to their home but barred from it. They skirted the Stormtroopers at one of the exits easily enough but they knew they couldn’t tarry around the Temple for very long.

“I hope you made some tea,” Chirrut said, raising his voice as they passed another patrol on their way to their ‘safehouse’.

“I always do.”

And Baze smiled and Chirrut swore he could smell his smugness of being able to dupe the Stormtroopers given how often they had snuck in and had yet to get caught.


End file.
